Ashtabula County is back on top as Ohio's premier spot for turkey hunting.

Slipping a bit a year ago and finishing third in the spring hunt standings, Ashtabula County had a banner four-week season. Sportsmen there checked 782 gobblers, far in front of second-place Guernsey County (661 turkeys), and pushed the Ohio total to 18,262 birds, a 4 percent increase over last year's 17,542 turkeys.

ODNR Division of Wildlife officials fell short of a harvest forecast of 20,000 to 25,000 turkeys. Cold, wet weather during the final 10 days of the season hampered hunters.

Other top counties were Harrison (625), Meigs (612), Tuscarawas (570), Athens (566), Coshocton (551), Washington (517) and Jackson (493). Cleveland-area totals included Cuyahoga (7), Geauga (358), Lake (171), Lorain (114), Medina (114) and Summit (68) counties.

2006 Season Dates: April 24 - May 21

Youth Season - April 22, 23

Bag Limit: 1 bearded turkey per day, 2 bearded turkeys per season

Legal Hours: 1/2 hour before sunrise to 12 noon

Only shotguns using shot, crossbows, and longbows permitted.

2004 Season Dates:

Shotgun - Oct 9 - 24
Archery - Oct 25 - Nov 28

Bag Limit: 1 either sex

Legal Hours: 1/2 hour before sunrise to sunset

The turkey harvest declined this spring as hunters checked 16,118 gobblers during the four-week campaign that ended May 23. For the fifth straight year, Ashtabula County led the state with the most turkeys killed with 648. Next were Coshocton (540), Harrison (529), Guernsey (497), Knox (445), Jefferson (441), Belmont (439), Columbiana (427), Trumbull (411) and Monroe (407). There was a total of 1,519 turkeys killed during the two-day youth-only season in April.

The 20 percent decline from 2003 is attributed to wet, chilly springs the past three years that have hampered turkey reproduction and hunters. Even with the poor hatches, western Ohio populations continue to grow.